Cotton-picker.



L. C. STUKENBORG.

COTTON PICKER.

1 APPLIOATION FILED Nov. z. 1909.

978,341. 1 Patented Dec. 13, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

L. C. 'STUKBNBORG.

COTTON PICKER.

APPLIOATION FILED Nov. 2. 1909.

978,341 Patented Dec. `13, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

f7 .ZMMWHW LOUIS C. STKENBORG, OF IVBIRMINQHAM, ALABAMA.

COTTON-PICKER.

Specification of Letters Patent. y

Patented Dee. 13, 1910.

yApplication led November 2, 1909. Serial No. 525,951.

To all whom "it may concern: Beit known that I, Louis C. STUKEN- BORG, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Birmingham, in the county of Jefferson and State of Alabama, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Cotton-Pickers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to cotton harvesters and more particularly to that class of cotton harvesterswhich has an endless belt provided with means for removing thel cotton from the bolls of the owing plant.

Heretofore great di culty yhas been experienced in producing a cotton picker which could be manufactured and placed on the market ata low cost, and atthe same time v be rapid and. ellicient .in operation. The

- a picker, the initial 'cost of which 1s comi large majority of harvesters now in use are expensive, requlre a number of experienced i men to operate them, and are adapted for use. only on large plantations, u on which many hands are employed. For t is reason, many of the' smaller cotton growers still pick their cotton by hand.

It is the object of this invention to provide paratively small and whichmay be advantageously used on the small farms where few hands are employed.A

4A furtherlobject is to provide a picking machine which is simple and easy to operate but at the same time rapid and eiiicient an` readilytransportable to any part of the cot` ton field. l

A still further object is to provide a picker which is adapted to convey the cotton from .A With the foregoing and other objects in view, my inventlon consists in such details the bolls to a receptacle carried by the operator, which receptacle ymay be easily removed, emptied yand returned or which may be replaced by another like receptacle.

of construction and combination of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described and specilically vpointed out inthe claims.

In descrl ing my invention, reference will be had toi the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters denote like or corresponding parts and in which-'- Figure V1 is a view in elevation, showing the complete machine in operative position. Fig. 2 is a'plan view of the rear portion of the machine. Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of the same with the back board and supporting straps removed. Fig. is a side elevation of the pickers. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of'` to the'top of which is connected an arm 2 by means of the bolt 3 which allows the said arm to swing laterally. A bracket or clamp-g ing member 4 is suitably connected to end of the box11 and extends above the top thereof, embracing said arm 2 in such manner as to prevent the latter from swinging too far to one side or the other. Upon the outer end of the arm 2 is'fixed a similar clamp 5, the function of which `will be hereinater more full described.

Extending horlzontally from the clamo 4 and located beneath the box 1, are two loni gitudinal plates 6, throu h' which ass bolts carrying nuts 7. By a justin t ese nuts, the clamp 4A may be tightene or loosened as occasion requires.

Suitably mounted in the end ofthe box 1 and held 1n lace by the clamp 4, 1s one end y of the helica s ring 8, which extends to the end of the mac ine to form the inner part of one of the conveyer tubes, as willbe readily seen upon referenceto the drawin s. A second similar spring coil 9 is held 1n place by a lower portion 28 of the bracket or clamp 4, said coil 9 extending beneath. and arallel with the coil 8. Thersprings 8 an covered with canvas or other similar material 10 and 11 respectively, in such manner as to form two conveyer tubes. At the outer ing member 12 which is contractedV in 9 are.

orv picker end of these tubes is a third clanp- I center at 13 so as to form two ap roximately y circular collars through which t e tubes 10 and 11 extend Vand by which they are held.

The uplper end of the'member 121s provided with a ing ap aratusmaybe the bo ls. Connecte to the clamping member 12 is a collar 15, to which is in turnv con` vnected two plates 16, which have outwardly projecting ears 17, in which ears is journalecl a ypulley wheel 18 havin outwardly pro]ect ing guard flanges 19. T e upper ends of the plates 16 are ormed with ot er outwardly projecting ears 20 in which is journaled another wheel 21, said wheel having a pluandle 14 bv means of which the pickided into contact with.

periphery by Suitable stitching or' Wiring 23. Immediately in rear of thebrush wheel 421 and so situated as to come in contact with the brushes on said wheel, is a spring coil 24 whichlservesthe purpose of disengaging any.

cotton whichmay adhere to said brush wheel. In order to prevent the cotton from the bolls frontndingits way out of the machine before it enters the conveyer tubes, .the upper parts of the plates 16 and the member 15 are covered by a screen 25. -A' spool pulley 26 is journaled in the plates 16 in rear of the Wheel 1 8-,said pulley being` ada ted to con-` tact withthe conveyer belt'as Wi l be readily appreciated.v Afsimilar spool pulley 27 is journaled in the lower part of the clamp 12 and servesa `like purpose, yA third such pulley 29 is journaled in the lower part 28 of g vthe clamp 4 and also contacts with theK inner surface of the Vconveyer belt.

The clamp 4 is 'contracted at 30 in order to -hold in posltion a leg or support 31, which carries a laterally extending member-32 near its lower end 33, which is sharpened and adapted to-,be -inserted in the round; *said legl ls'pivotally held at 31 1n order that 7 it may be folded .up out of the way while' the machineis being transported from place to place-l f V A Passing through the boxl and journaled inthe sides thereof is ashaft or axle 34 upon which is fixed a gearxwheel 35 which gear wheel is rotated by a crank 36 terminating in a -handle 37. The gear wheel 35- meshes with'a spurgear 38 which is fixed toa shaft 39 which shaft isalso j ournaled in the sides of the box 1f Between the sides of said box` and fixed upon the shaft 39 vis a sprocket wheel 40.' Extending downwardly from the sides of the box 1 are two bracket members 41 in the lower ends of which is ournaled a pulley Wheel 42, in engagement withwhich the belt conv'eyer is adapted to pass.' Immediately in rear of the shaft 39 and so situated asto contact with the brushes on4 the-'conv'e'yer'belt, isjv another 'spring coil 43. This coil is so-placed in orderto remove the-'cotadhering to the brushes and to drop the "same into the receptacle provided therefor. "Mountedupon the box 1 near its 'forward end and extending upwardly from the-top thereof is a handle 44 by which the operator may-'support the rear part kofthe machine. A screen45 is placed over the'top ofthe boxv to keep the cotton from fallin out.

, l An endlessbelt 'is'provi edv'a'ndfhas a.

series' of brushes 47j fastened 'tol said belt at 48 in vsuch manner that said bifush's will be normally flat on the belt as shown, but when rounding the pulleyY wheels said'f brushes.

open up or 'extend-at an :angle'lto said belt. In this way thel brushes are enabled to grasp the base of the-bollzand remoye the cotton therefrom, which c'ld'not be done' f eer/aaai by theold style solid brush. Upon thelowe1- side of the :belt is a'sprocket chain 49`adapted .to be engaged by'the sprocket wheel 40 as the same is rotated. This conveyer belt ex-. ,tends around the wheel 18, contacts with the brushes on;the wheel 21 thus `rotating the same, passes lover the pulley l26, is engaged l and driven by `the sprocket wheel 40,'passes around the pulley 42 and contacts with the spool pulley 29. p f `The sides of .the box have Voutwardly turned lianges'50 at the rear end of said-'box and a head board 51, is fastened to said box by means of screws or other suitable .asteners passing through .this-flange. Connected to the ends of the board-51 isa strap 52 adapted to pass around the operators shoulders and asimilar stra 53 is providedl to pass around his Waist.

mechanism lis' a sack .or other receptacle 54 which is provided at its free end with hoops 55 i and 56, a second Sack 57 being passed around l. or the cotton"theiein=maylbe emptied int-o another receptacle and; the sack replaced.

'It will be-see'nthat by turning the crank' the belt withr the brushes thereon is caused to elow the spring y coil 43 and so situated as to catch all cotton dropped from the picking and conveying pass through the tube' 11 and aroundl the Y the'wvheel 21, which wheel -is rotated bythe engagement of the sai'd brushes as before pointed' out. The cotton isfthuspicked from the plant and conveyed through the tube 10l 1 to the spring coil 43 whichremoves it from the brushes `and -drops itv into the sack 54 `from whence it maybe pushed into the re- :movable sack 57. Whatever::cotton-"adheres loo to the Wheel 21 is'reioved the spring coil 24 and dropped upon the belt.; l

From the foregoing it'will be`seen `that I have provided a. .cotton picking machine which. may be vreadily ,transported `from placef'to place and` easily operated by two people. At' the saine time the initial cost of .the machineis low, and as the parts are few and simple the cost of'repairs would bepractictlliy nothing.

esire 1t to-beunderstoodythat the fore-` going description is for my preferredform of invention and that I may,l make 'slight Y' changes in the construction andv arrangementV ofdpa'rts Without deviating from'lthe spirit I an .t

scope 'of-thy invention. I -claim 1f Ina cotton picker,a box, ilexible conveyer. tubes connected thereto, pulleys at the ends of said-tubes, a belt on said pulleys,

i means for operating said belt, brushes on said belt, the fibers of said brushes being parallel with said' belt at their respective points of conjunction, the free ends of said fibers being slightly raised frolnsaid belt and extendlng in the direction of motion of `the belt and adapted to engage the cotton, "and a receptacle on said box for receiving said belt, one end of the bruslrfibers being `,11i

secured tosaid belt and in parallel relation thereto, the free ends of said 'fibers being slightly removed from said belt and extending in the direction of motion of the belt,

L and adapted to engage the cotton, a recep-r l, '.'201

I and means above said receptacle vto remove tacle on said box 'for receivingv the cotton,

, theI cotton from said belt.

51,30 engagesaid brushes and remove the cotton therefrom; y

-3. In a cotton picker, a box, flexible conveyer tubes connected thereto, pulleys at the ends ofsaid tubes, a belton said pulleys,

`means for operating said belt, brushes on said beltfada yted, to engage and remove the -cotton bol-ls rom the plant, a receptacle on said box `forreoeivin the cotton and a helical spring above sai receptacle, adapted to 4. In a cotton picker, a box, an arm pivotally mounted upon said box, 'exible con-y veyer tubes connected to said box and supported bysaid arm, pulleys at the ends of said tubes', a belt on said pulleys, means for operating said belt, brushes on said belt adapted to engage the cotton, said brushes belng inclinled in the direction of mot-ion of the belt, and a receptacle on said box for receiving the cotton.

first said brushes, and a receptacle on said box to receive the cotton.`

6. In a cotton picker, a box, an arm on said.

box, flexible conveyer tubes connected to said box supported by said arm, pulleys at the ends of said tubes, a belt on said pulleys, means for o erating said belt, brushes on said belt, said rushes ositioned with the free ends slightly raised) from'the belt and pointing in the direction of travel, and -disengaging means adjacent the brushes.

` 7. In a cotton picker, a box, an arm ou said box, iexible conveyer tubes connected to said box and supported by said arm, pulleys at the ends of said tubes, a belt on said pulleys, means for o erating said belt, means on said belt adapte to engage the cotton, a

receptacle on saidbox for receivin the cot-v LOUIS C. SatJ-KinvlsoRG.A

Witnesses:

W. P. MoCnossIN, JIM' McK. LONG. 

